50 Golden Acts of Good: St. Francis Community Center

As many of you know the Causeway Family of Dealerships in celebration of their 50^th anniversary has launched a yearlong “50 Golden Acts of Good” campaign to help their neighbors and make a positive impact in Ocean County.

The centerpiece of that is the awarding of a $10,000 grant each month to a local non-profit and this charitable endeavor culminates in December when the Manahawkin-based auto group presents a New Ford Transit Connect Van.

The September $10,000 grant recipient is the St. Francis Community Center, a multi-purpose community center on Long Beach Island serving residents of Ocean County since 1971.  While it was initially started to serve the social and recreational needs of southern Ocean County it was not long before in addition to its original goal, the Center would have to respond to the social service needs of a greater community.

For 46 years St. Francis Community Center has been providing a wide range of services and programs aimed at meeting the needs of Ocean County residents regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or religious affiliation.

The majority of services are aimed at those residents who are low income and working poor with the aim to help them navigate through barriers that prohibit them from becoming self-sufficient.  The goal as always is to get them to become contributing members of their community.  Programs offered include Preschool, Senior Center, Aquatic Center, Counseling Center, Family Support and Youth Services, Recreation and more.

Like many 501(c) (3) nonprofits St. Francis welcomes and encourages volunteers of which they have more than 1,100 but can use more in a variety of ways including coaching youth basketball, senior services, special events and more.  They also welcome donations from New Jersey residents.  For more information on this true community asset visit stfranciscenterlbi.org.

They join previous $10,000 grant recipients Tuckerton Seaport, Your Grandmother’s Cupboard, Ocean’s Harbor House, CONTACT, Ocean Partnership for Children, Interfaith Hospitality Network of Ocean County, Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey and Meals on Wheels of Ocean County with the next announcement coming in October.

Founded by David C. Wintrode in 1969 the Causeway Family of Dealerships has been a fixture on Route 72 in Manahawkin and so has been their commitment to the community.  The “Golden Acts of Good” campaign is just the latest example.